Maester Academes
The Maester Academes represent some of the most elite academics around the world. Getting invited to join the Maester Academes is one of the highest honours that people in Academia can attain. History Founded by a group of influential and affluent academics with Vierna Fleece as the leader, the Maester Academes work to further the research potential of everyone around them. Originally, the Maester Academes were merely a group of people who researched whatever they wanted without needing to rely on grants or the like. After some time, they agreed that they would invite less affluent people who showed promise in order to expand on how much research could be done. As time past, the Academes split off into other groups with tighter focuses (The Combine, The Hightowers, and Future Sight), but the Academes still stayed strong in their focus for expanding their knowledge and through that, the world's knowledge. Of course, as these groups left, as did their collective research. This created problems because while certain bits of information could easily be catagorized, some were fought over with people demanding that they be given exclusivity over some information. This period of time would have torn the factions apart to the point where all of the information would have been lost had it not been for the leadership of the Academes carefully reviewing every single case that came before him and deciding on them. This hardly stopped the destruction of important research, however, and many projects were left unfinished after The Divide. Left with what many considered to be a ruinous defeat, the remaining members of the Maester Academes reconvened with the hope of finishing what their predecessors had started under new leadership. With this new leader, Dean Altriz Summerwind, came a new dawn for the Academes, finishing off projects that they deemed still salvageable and repairing tomes that had been destroyed out of spite. Since then, the Academes have been more wary about resource distribution, knowing that should an event like The Divide ever happen again that there may be no coming back. Organization Philosophy Knowledge is power, and to the Maester Academes, there is nothing more valuable than that. While other factions may focus their interests on a specific subject, the Academes pride themselves on mastering as many different subjects as possible regardless of the trials they may face to do so. While this may seem foolish or a waste of time to others, the Academes are more than happy where they are and with what they do so long as their name is pasted onto some brilliant new discovery. It is said that the ability to stare down death in the face of new discovery is an Academe's greatest pride. Notable Members * Vierna Fleece ** Founder of the Maester Academes * Samara Sinclair ** Documented and codified the History of the Susurrus Society * Altriz Summerwind ** Leader of the Maester Academes during The Recovery * Darren Soulstrom ** Leader of the Maester Academes during The Divide